I've done less traveling than I'd like, though that's
managed to rope in few trips to Germany, a few cross-country road-trips,
and extensive meandering through California and the West, as well
as 'Straya and En-Zed. Kilimanjaro, anyone?

While I like city amenities (culture, art, healthy food,
backpacking supplies, walkable neighborhoods), when I need to
recharge I head to the hills, the open highway, or beyond the end
of the road.

Books: pretty much anything Neal Stephenson's written, which
isn't enough for my liking. Particularly fond of his heroines and
hope to marry one some day. Currently going through America's
Best Short Stories 2010, some Neil Gaimen, Daniel Pink's
Drive (if you haven't watched the animated TED talk, do),
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and sequels were good fun, a
pile of texts on economics, politics/world situation, fitness, and
nutrition, and A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal
Deviates. Honorable mentions to xkcd and Sinfest.

Movies: Don't get around much any more, though I caught
"Restrepo" (the filmmaker Tim Hetherington was killed in Libya in
2011) and two of the Steig Larson films. Love love love
"Casablanca", fan of "Princess Bride", enjoyed the first "Iron
Man". Epics can really get me ("The Last Emperor", "Lawrence of
Arabia". And sometimes just plain fun: "Shanghai Noon", "Men in
Black". I'm a lot more susceptible to a good romantic comedy than I
should be.

Shows: Is this supposed to be TV or stage? I don't watch the
former, saw "As You Like It" on Navy Pier in Chicago recently. I do
listen to NPR, particularly fond of "Selected Shorts", "On the
Media", and usually the lecture shows (Cambridge Forum, City Arts
& Lectures, etc.) , and the quiz/game shows (Wait Wait, Sez
You). Terry Gross's "Fresh Air" has been improving with age.

Music: Wide and varied tastes from blues to indie rock to
jazz, classical, and ancient music. Not so much for
hip-hop/house/rap. Of contemporary and/or recently contemporary
artists: Cowboy Junkies, Natalie Merchant, REM, Paula Cole, Miles
Davis, Sutro, Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck, Sting, Elvis Costello,
Dylan, Lyell Lovett, Lambert Hendricks and Ross. Die, Lady Gaga,
die .... OK. Maybe she's among the better of the current lot, but
Goyte was a
surprisingly good recent find (as well as the various covers of
STIUTK).

Food: Yes. Preferably real (big Michael Pollan fan). Good
food, well prepared, preferably simple, that's not going to kill me
is best. Could be a fresh salad, a burger, tacos from a street
vendor, or the odd fine dining experience (though frankly I really
don't get the whole fixation on that). As much as I value quality,
good, healthy food, I don't grok this whole "foodie" thing. Stuff I
make in my own kitchen (or over a campstove) is best.

Why my systems are or aren't doing what they should be, my next gym
workout and/or row, where the country and world are headed in a
social / environmental / economic sense (Piketty, Keen, and Polanyi
are interesting), where my phone is, whether or not that girl
actually wants me to say "hi" or not, how to convince the NY Times
to see truth and light and adopt the Oxford comma, and plotting the
popular uprising against skinny jeans. And shirts.